A video ad doing the rounds on Instagram and YouTube stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, experts have warned.
The one-minute “heartbreaking” clip shows an eight-year-old boy called Semion asking in Russian for money to pay for his lung cancer treatment.
It is hosted on a fundraising page which has raised nearly $250,000 (£195,000) in donations from over 8,600 people.
But cybersecurity research firm Avast says the video is a scam and “feeds on people’s generosity” and an innate desire to help others.
The video is also hosted on Drove.com, a donation advertising platform with “a very low trust score”, according to Scam Advisor.
Cybersecurity research firm Avast found the video, which shows an eight-year-old boy called Semion asking for money to pay for his lung cancer treatment
It was posted on YouTube on May 17 and has since had over 2,300 views.
In the clip, Semion says his family can’t afford treatment for his cancer and if he doesn’t receive treatment within the next two weeks, it will be too late to save him.
“I appeal to your hearts,” he pleads. “I don’t want to lie in bed and choke.
‘Do not ignore me. Don’t leave me lying in my bed suffering. I’m only 8 years old. I had not planned to die at eight years old. Lung cancer can progress and slowly take over my lungs completely.
‘Then even the ventilator won’t help anymore. Nothing will help me anymore and the cancer will suffocate me.
“Give me a chance to get the treatment that will save my life.”
The video is in Russian, but there are different subtitled versions in English, French, Spanish and Ukrainian, Avast told MailOnline.
The total amount raised is already 246,920 euros ($270,000 or £212,000) – but that’s only about a third of his target of over 750,000 euros.
People left sympathetic comments while donating, with one saying, “God please bless this child.”
Another said, “Believe in God with all your heart.
It’s unclear who is behind the clip, but the organizers of the fundraising page claim to be from World Champions, an organization in Israel that provides “support for children with cancer.”
The video is also hosted on Drove.com, a donation advertising platform with “a very low trust score”, according to Scam Advisor.
Scam Advisor claims World Champions is a legitimate charity and “most likely not a scam”, with a high “trust score” of 92%.
However, the fundraising page on Drove.com has bank transfer details for someone called Alufei Olam.
The page says Olam is among the world champions, although there appears to be no record of him on the charity’s website.
Another video featuring Semion with his mother was posted by the World Champions account on Instagram.
The ‘heartbreaking’ clip links to a fundraising page which has raised almost $250,000 (£195,000) in donations from more than 8,600 people.
MailOnline has contacted the owners of Instagram Meta and Google (which owns YouTube) for comment
MailOnline has contacted World Champions, owner of Instagram Meta and owner of YouTube Google for comment.
Luis Corrons, a security researcher at Avast, called the video “heartbreaking”, but feeds on the “human desire to help others”.
“When it comes to donating, it’s important to verify the authenticity of the organization before transferring money to ensure you’re helping who you think you are,” said Luis Corrons, researcher at Avast.
“To be on the safe side, directly visit official websites of trusted organizations to donate instead of responding to calls for donations via email, video or social media ads.”